Angelico Chavez
American | period = | genre = | subject = New Mexico history | movement = | notableworks = "The Virgin of Port Lligat" My Penitente Land | spouse = | partner = | children = | relatives = | influences = | influenced = | awards = | signature = | website = }} Rev. Fr. Fray Angelico Chavez (April 10, 1910 - March 18, 1996) was an American poet, prose author, historian, and painter, who worked as a Franciscan priest. "Angelico" was his pen name; he also dropped the accent marks from this name.Weigle, Marta. Preface to Brothers of Light, Brothers of Blood (Sunstone Press, 2007) p. xiii. Life Youth Born the eldest of 10 children to Fabián Chávez and María Nicolasa Roybal de Chávez in Wagon Mound, New Mexico, Chavez was baptized with the name Manuel Ezequiel. In 1912, his family moved to San Diego, California, where his father worked for the Panama-California Exposition. The missions he was exposed to in California inspired him to follow in the footsteps of Junípero Serra and the other missionaries to the Native Americans. Returning to New Mexico, he attended public schools in Mora staffed by members of the teaching order Sisters of Loretto. In 1924, at the age of 14, Chavez was admitted to St. Francis Seminary in Mount Healthy, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati. While at the seminary, Chavez endeavored to improve his English (his second language) through a study of the classic literature of the language. He began writing fiction, essays, and other works at this time, several of which were published in the Brown and White, the student magazine he later edited. As a member of the 1st class to inhabit the seminary's new dormitory, he was allowed to paint murals of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Anthony of Padua on its walls. On August 15, 1929 he officially became a novice and received the order's habit. Due to his promise as a visual artist, was given the religious name Frater Angélico after the Florentine painter Fra Angelico. He continued his studies at Duns Scotus College in Detroit, graduating in 1933. He studied for 4 more years before being ordained at Saint Francis Cathedral in Santa Fe, the 1st native New Mexican Franciscan priest. Priesthood He was assigned to the parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Pena Blanca, New Mexico, and its missions in Jémez Pueblo and Los Cerrillos. At Peña Blanca, he undertook a revitalization of the church building, painting frescoes on its walls. He was his own model for the figure of Pontius Pilate, and also used locals and three of his sisters as figure models. He also ministered to the local Indians of San Felipe Pueblo, Santo Domingo Pueblo, and the Pueblo of Cochiti. During World War II, Chavez attended the chaplaincy school at Harvard University and was placed with the 77th Infantry Division. He was present for the beach landings of Guam and Leyte. He continued his military service during the Korean War as chaplain at Fort Bliss, Texas, and Kaiserslautern, Germany. Later career Upon his return from the battlefield, Chavez was appointed archivist of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and undertook the cataloging and translation of its Spanish archives. This work provided new primary sources that allowed for a reevaluation of the history of New Mexico. He wrote the definitive work on the families of New Mexico, as well as many other works of history, some of which is considered revisionist. For example, his view of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, unorthodox in its minimization of the role of Popé and its emphasis on the mestizo element, was based primarily on previously-unconsidered genealogical data. In 1971, he left the priesthood following a "crisis of faith". He returned to the priesthood and the Franciscan Order prior to his death on March 18, 1996 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the age of 85. Chavez was buried in Rosario Cemetery, having earlier refused burial in St. Francis Cathedral in Santa Fe. The Museum of New Mexico at the Palace of the Governors named the new history and photographic library in his honor following his death, and a bronze statue of his likeness is displayed at the entrance.Harrelson, Barbara. Walks in Literary Santa Fe. Gibbs Smith. 2007. 22. Judge Harry Long Bigbee was the donor of the statue."Vol 25, No. 2." Bulletin of the Historic Santa Fe Association. December 1998. Retrieved on August 21, 2009. Writing Among the general populace he is most known for the book entitled La Conquistadora: The autobiography of an ancient statue. This work told the story, a 1st-person narrative, of a statue of the Virgin Mary brought from Spain over 400 years ago, through Mexico to New Mexico. The statue resides in St. Francis Cathedral to this day and is an important part of the religious history of the Spanish people of Northern New Mexico. His biography of Father Antonio José Martínez (1793–1867), But Time and Chance, was the beginning of a trilogy of biographies on significant native New Mexican priests. It is a scholarly and balanced treatment of the Cura de Taos whose life story had been distorted by some authors. In 1846, General Sephen W. Kearny swore Martinez as the first U.S. citizen of the Territory of New Mexico. Within 6 months, however, his political enemies wrongly alleged that Padre Martinez instigated the Taos Uprising of 1847 — 1 of the last events of the US-Mexican War. Padre Martinez was very influential in New Mexico and beyond as a religious figure, rancher, educator, author and publisher, lawyer and politician. He was in conflict with his superior Bishop Lamy regarding the issue of tithing and other matters, and suffered ecclesiastical censure in 1858. When he died in 1867, his peers in the Territorial Assembly called him "La Honra de Su Pais," the honor of his homeland. Chavez also wrote short stories, novels, and poetry. His poem The Virgin of Port Lligat, based on Salvador Dalí's painting The Madonna of Port Lligat, was selected as one of the best books of 1959 by the Catholic Library Association and was praised by T.S. Eliot as a "very commendable achievement."Genaro M. Padilla, "Introduction," The Short Stories of Fray Angelico Chavez, U of New Mexico Press, p. viii. As Chavez scholar Genaro M. Padilla notes, "despite his outpouring of history, poetry, and fiction, Fray Angelico Chavez has been largely overlooked as one of the pioneers of Chicano sic literature in this century".Padilla, "Introduction", p. x. Recognition Honorary degrees * Master of Arts, University of New Mexico, 1947 * Doctor of Letters, College of St. Joseph on the Rio Grande, Albuquerque, 1963 *Doctor of Law, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, 1973 * Doctor of Humane Letters, University of New Mexico, 1974 Publications Poetry * Clothed with the Sun. Santa Fe, NM: Writers' Editions, 1939. (download) * Eleven Lady-lyrics, and other poems. Paterson, NJ: St. Anthony Guild Press, 1945. * The Virgin of Port Lligat. Fresno, CA: Academic Library Guild, 1959. * Selected Poems, with an apologia. Santa Fe, NM: Press of the Territorian, 1969. * Cantares: Canticles and poems of youth, 1925-1932 (edited by Nasario García). Houston, TX: Arte Público Press, 2000. ISBN 1-55885-311-1 Novel * The Lady from Toledo: An historical novel in Santa Fe. Fresno, CA: Academy Guild Press, 1960; Santa Fe, NM: Friends-of-the-Palace Press, 1993. Short fiction * New Mexico Triptych: Being three panels and three accounts. (illustrated by the author). Paterson, NJ: St. Anthony Guild Press, 1940; Santa Fe, NM: William Gannon, 1976. *''When the Santos Talked: A retablo of New Mexico tales''. Santa Fe, NM: Wiliam Gannon, 1957. *''From an Altar Screen; El Retablo; Tales from New Mexico''. New York: Farrar, Straus, & Cudahy, 1957; Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, 1969. *''The Short Stories of Fray Anglico Chavez'' (edited by Genaro M. Padilla). Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 1987. *''Guitars and Adobes, and the uncollected stories of Fray Angelico Chavez'' (edited by Ellen McCracken; Gerald Cassidy). Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 2009. Non-fiction *''Our Lady of the Conquest''. Santa Fe, NM: New Mexico Historical Society, 1948. * La Conquistadora: the autobiography of an ancient statue. Paterson, NJ: St. Anthony Guild Press, 1954. * But Time and Chance: The story of Padre Martinez of Taos, 1793-1867. Santa Fe, NM: Sunstone Press, 1981. ISBN 0-913270-95-4 * Coronado’s Friars. Washington: Academy of American Franciscan History, 1968. w * My Penitente Land: Reflections on Spanish New Mexico. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 1974. ISBN 0-8263-0334-X *''Très Macho – He Said: Padre Gallegos of Albuquerque, New Mexico's first congressman''. Santa Fe, NM: William Gannon, 1985. *''The Santa Fe Cathedral of St. Francis of Assissi''. Santa Fe, NM: Schifani, 1967. *''Chavez: A distinctive American clan of New Mexico''. Santa Fe, NM: W. Gannon, 1989. *''Origins of New Mexico Families: A genealogy of the Spanish colonial period''. Santa Fe, NM: Museum of New Mexico Press, 1992. ISBN 0-89013-239-9 Juvenile *''The Song of Francis'' (illustrated by Judy Graese). Flagstaff, AZ: Northland Press, 1973. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search reults = au:Angelico Chavez, WorldCat, OCLC Onlne Computer Library Center Inc. Web, May 31, 2014. See also *List of Chicano poets *Hispanic and Latino American poets *List of U.S. poets References *Chavez, Angelico, The Virgin of Port Lligat, Filmer Brothers Press, 1956 * Chavez, Angelico, My Penitente Land, Museum of New Mexico, 1974. ISBN 0-89013-255-0 * Fonds *Fray Angélico Chávez Collection, New Mexico History Museum, Fray Angélico Chávez History Library *Fray Angélico Chávez History Library at the Palace of the Governors, New Mexico Notes External links ;Poems *Fray Angelico Chavez at the National Catholic Reporter (profile, 2 poems, & links) ;Books *Angelico Chavez at Amazon.com ;About *Fray Angelico Chavez: Santa Fe's Franciscan Poet *Chavez, Fray Angelico at the New Mexico Office of the State Historian *Fray Angelico Chavez at Find a Grave *"Triptych Cultural Critique: Fray Angelico Chavez and Southwestern Critical Regionalism, 1939-2004," University of New Mexico Category:1910 births Category:1996 deaths Category:American historians Category:American poets Category:American Roman Catholic priests Category:American military personnel of World War II Category:Franciscans Category:Harvard University alumni Category:People from San Diego, California Category:People from Santa Fe, New Mexico Category:United States Army officers Category:Writers from New Mexico Category:Hispanos Category:Hispanic and Latino American novelists Category:Hispanic and Latino American poets Category:American short story writers Category:Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe Category:20th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:Catholic poets Category:Chicano poets